Buster Olney says that the Padres — the odd men out on Adam LaRoche and Derrek Lee, it seems — are considering signing Russell Branyan and using him in a platoon at first base. Olney mentions Kyle Blanks as a potential platoon partner but he’s going to miss a good chunk of next season due to Tommy John surgery.

And Branyan would need a platoon partner. He continued to put the hurt on righties last year, hitting 19 of his 25 homers against them while posting an .874 OPS. Against lefties, however, he was sub-Francoeurian.

Still, Branyan is exactly the kind of guy someone in need of a stop-gap first baseman should be looking for. And you don’t have to pay him $21 million over three years to get him. Orioles.

Thanks Craig. I appreciate that $21M stab to the heart right before the holidays.

Maybe if SD does sign Branyan, the price for LaRoche and Lee goes down slightly. That theory is based on the apparent likelihood that the first basemen musical chair game drops to two contestants (Balt and DC) with two chairs remaining. Not much of a game mind you, yet it still drags on like yesterday’s chili.

I remember when a buddy of mine went to a Yankees game and Branyan had just come up with the Indians. He was taking batting practice at Yankee Stadium and hitting balls 500 feet or further, and my buddy (who is a baseball and sports geek like me) was like, who the @$!!&%$#! is this guy??!?
Dude hits for power. No doubt. Basically a Rob Deer who hits for about 40 more points of average you can stick at first base and not have him embarrass you in the field. Wouldn’t be a bad signing.